Ink cartridge and recording apparatus

Abstract

There is provided an ink cartridge including a body, a particular interface and an engagement portion. The body has a front side at which an ink supply portion is located for supplying ink stored in an ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber, and a rear side located to face the front side. The particular interface is positioned substantially adjacent to the ink supply portion at the front side, wherein the particular interface is configured to be biased by a biasing member in a specific direction. The engagement portion is configured to be engaged with a locking section of a cartridge installation portion for retaining the body in an installed state.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An ink cartridge configured to be installed in a cartridge installation portion of a recording apparatus in an installation direction, the ink cartridge comprising:
 a body having a front side at which an ink supply portion is located for supplying ink stored in an ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber, and a rear side opposite the front side; 
 a particular interface positioned substantially adjacent to the ink supply portion at the front side, wherein the particular interface is configured to be biased by a biasing member in a specific direction; and 
 an engagement portion protruding from a surface of the body and configured to protrude into and be engaged with a locking section of the cartridge installation portion for retaining the body in an installed state, 
 wherein the surface of the body is formed with a recess in which the engagement portion is received during installation until the recess is aligned with the locking section, 
 wherein the body includes an upper surface and a bottom surface opposite to the upper surface, the upper surface extending from a front surface positioned at the front side to a rear surface positioned at the rear side, and wherein the engagement portion protrudes from the bottom surface and the bottom surface is formed with the recess, and wherein the engagement portion is configured to engage the locking section for restraining the body in the installed state from moving in the specific direction against a biasing force of the biasing member, 
 wherein the engagement portion comprises a first guide surface and a second guide surface, and wherein the first guide surface and the bottom surface define a first angle therebetween and the second guide surface and the bottom surface define a second angle therebetween greater than the first angle, and 
 wherein the second guide surface is connected to the first guide surface and positioned closer to the rear surface than the first guide surface to the rear surface, the first guide surface having a leading end in the installation direction and a trailing end in the installation direction and connected to the second guide surface, and the second guide surface having a leading end in the installation direction and connected to the trailing end of the first guide surface and a trailing end in the installation direction, the first guide surface being slanted with respect to the installation direction such that the trailing end of the first guide surface is positioned farther from the bottom surface than the leading end of the first guide surface from the bottom surface, and the second guide surface being slanted with respect to the installation direction such that the leading end of the second guide surface is positioned farther from the bottom surface than the trailing end of the second guide surface from the bottom surface. 
 
     
     
       2. The ink cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein the particular interface projects from a lower end of the front surface, and the engagement portion is positioned adjacent to the particular interface. 
     
     
       3. The ink cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein the specific direction is a direction opposite to the installation direction. 
     
     
       4. The ink cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein the body is further formed with an opening at the front side for drawing air from the exterior of the ink chamber into an interior of the ink chamber, and wherein the opening is configured to engage an outer peripheral surface of a rod of the cartridge installation portion. 
     
     
       5. The ink cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein the engagement portion comprises a latch lever and an urging member, the latch lever being configured to move between a first position in which the latch lever is in engagement with the locking section and a second position in which the latch lever is disengaged from the locking section, and the urging member being configured to urge the latch lever to the first position. 
     
     
       6. A recording apparatus comprising:
 a cartridge installation portion configured to receive the ink cartridge according to  claim 1 ; and 
 a pressing mechanism provided at an upper portion of the cartridge installation portion, wherein the pressing mechanism includes another biasing member and a lever portion, 
 wherein the another biasing member is configured to bias the lever portion, and the lever portion is configured to press the upper surface of the ink cartridge downward such that the engagement portion is frictionally engaged with the locking section. 
 
     
     
       7. An ink cartridge configured to be installed in a cartridge installation portion of a recording apparatus, the ink cartridge comprising:
 a body having a front side at which an ink supply portion is located for supplying ink stored in an ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber, and a rear side opposite the front side; 
 a particular interface positioned substantially adjacent to the ink supply portion at the front side, wherein the particular interface is configured to be biased by a biasing member in a specific direction; and 
 an engagement portion configured to engage a locking section of the cartridge installation portion for retaining the body in an installed state, 
 wherein the body includes an upper surface and a bottom surface opposite to the upper surface, the upper surface extending from a front surface positioned at the front side to a rear surface positioned at the rear side, and wherein the bottom surface is provided with the engagement portion, and the engagement portion is configured to engage the locking section for restraining the body in the installed state from moving in the specific direction against a biasing force of the biasing member, 
 wherein the engagement portion comprises a lever portion provided at the bottom surface, and the lever portion is resiliently deformable and extends from the front side toward the rear side, 
 wherein the lever portion comprises a latching claw configured to engage the locking section of the cartridge installation portion, and 
 wherein the lever portion further comprises a latching knob protruding from an opening of the cartridge installation portion when the latching claw engages the locking section. 
 
     
     
       8. An ink cartridge configured to be installed in a cartridge installation portion of a recording apparatus, the ink cartridge comprising:
 a body having a front side at which an ink supply portion is located for supplying ink stored in an ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber, and a rear side opposite the front side; 
 a particular interface positioned substantially adjacent to the ink supply portion at the front side, wherein the particular interface is configured to be biased by a biasing member in a specific direction; and 
 an engagement portion configured to engage a locking section of the cartridge installation portion for retaining the body in an installed state, 
 wherein the body includes an upper surface and a bottom surface opposite to the upper surface, the upper surface extending from a front surface positioned at the front side to a rear surface positioned at the rear side, and wherein the bottom surface is provided with the engagement portion, and the engagement portion is configured to engage the locking section for restraining the body in the installed state from moving in the specific direction against a biasing force of the biasing member, and 
 wherein the engagement portion comprises a segmental spherical projection engageable with the locking section. 
 
     
     
       9. An ink cartridge configured to be installed in a cartridge installation portion of a recording apparatus in an installation direction, the ink cartridge comprising:
 a body having a front side at which an ink supply portion is located for supplying ink stored in an ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber, and a rear side opposite the front side; 
 a particular interface positioned substantially adjacent to the ink supply portion at the front side, wherein the particular interface is configured to be biased by a biasing member in a specific direction; and 
 an engagement portion configured to engage a locking section of the cartridge installation portion for retaining the body in an installed state, 
 wherein the engagement portion comprises a pair of side surfaces extending along the installation direction, the pair of side surfaces defining a distance therebetween, and the distance gradually increasing toward the front side.